Guinness World Records List

Guinness World Records List

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Record

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4891

Procter & Gamble roll away with toilet paper record

By Morgan Wilber in CincinnatiIt was National Toilet Paper Day in the United States on Friday, and to mark the event, Procter & Gamble's Charmin brand decided to celebrate by attempting the Guinness World Records title for largest toilet paper roll. To be eligible for the record, the roll had to be outsized to scale and constructed from the same material used for a regular commercially available toilet roll, with the record determined by measuring the diameter of the final product. The Charmin team polled their manufacturing plants to see the capacity and ability of their machines to see exactly how big they could push the size limit. After searching, the P&G Paper Products Company located outside of Cape Girardeau, Missouri was chosen to manufacture the oversized toilet paper roll made entirely out of Charmin toilet paper product. The roll was transported to Cincinnati, Ohio where it was wrapped with Charmin branded appropriate casing and stored at a secret facility. The large toilet roll was then transported to the P&G Headquarters on Friday morning to be unveiled for National Toilet Paper Day. I flew to Cincinnati a few days before the unveiling to meet the Charmin team and see the toilet paper roll in person. The toilet roll's measurements were taken by a certified surveyor to ensure the precise diameter was recorded. After careful calculations, the final diameter measured 9.73 feet (the height measuring 8.49 feet). With the previous record measuring in at 5 feet 6.9 inches in diameter, Charmin had set a new record. A large crowd gathered around the huge toilet paper roll, displayed outside the P&G headquarters for pictures and celebration. The famous Charmin Bear was also present for some laughs and great photo opportunities. Congratulations to Charmin, and thanks to the team for their passion and precise planning to make this attempt worthy of a Guinness World Records title.

4892

Surfing dog breaks waves and world record

From Freddie Hoff, in California, USAThe fact that Huntington Beach was filled with surfers on Sunday is not unusual. After all, Huntington Beach is better known as "Surf City". But in this case, all the surfers were dogs.At 7:00 am, the 3 rd annual Surf City Surf Dog event was in full swing and the dogs were lining up for the competition.Abbie Girl, an Australian Kelpie, was not only entering the tournament, she was there to attempt the Guinness World Records achievement for longest wave surfed by a dog (open water). The minimum distance set for this category was 30 yards (27.4 meters). Quite a surfing distance for a dog (and most humans too)!Abbie was not fazed. Equipped with a GPS tracking device by owner and friend Michael Uy, she merely wagged her tail, bounced into the ocean and got ready to surf!At 9:30 am, Michael put Abbie on her board and they went into the water together to wait for the perfect wave. When that wave arrived, Michael let go of Abbie and she surfed her way into shore.After Abbie returned from surfing , the GPS she was wearing was hooked up to a computer and it was determined that she had surfed a total of 60 meters (65.62 yards) - setting a new Guinness World Records achievement!Congratulations to Abbie, her owner, Michael and the Surf City Surf Dog event on successfully achieving the record and to all the surfing dogs out there waiting to catch the next wave.Main image by: PawMazing photography - Robert Ochoa

4893

Dance Marathon record set at MTV O Music Awards

On a night that saw the likes of Adam Lambert, Nirvana and Bjork honoured, Monday's MTV O Music Awards also saw a new Guinness World Record title being handed out.Ahead of the ceremony, a group of thirteen seemingly tireless dancers took to the floor at the Roxy in Hollywood, Los Angeles and proceeded to groove their way to record for the Longest Team Dance Marathon after throwing shapes for 24 hours.The dancers, who under the record guidelines were each only allowed a minimal five-minute break per hour, kicked off their attempt on Halloween Eve with musical assistance from DJ Diamond Kuts.Mission was accomplished Monday night as the team reached the 24 hour mark while dancing to a live performance from Swedish singer Robyn.The dancers celebrated by doing a bit more dancing, this time to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This," only pausing briefly to receive their official Guinness World Record certificate.The attempt was organised to raise awareness for National Bullying Prevention Month with $30,000 raised for a number of anti-bullying campaigns from groups including GLAAD, GLSEN, GSA Network, HRC and the It Gets Better Project and Trevor Project.The dance record was just one of the highlights of the Awards which celebrate the best in online music are now in the second year. Alongside Robyn, this year's show also saw performances from The Flaming Lips, Mac Miller, and the Alabama Shakes, as well as special appearances by Kelly Clarkson, Tyler, the Creator, and Demi Lovato.

4894

Largest architectural star record set in Turkmenistan

By Amanda MochanLast month saw Ashgabat in Turkmenistan set a new world record for the largest architectural star. The glass construction, which has a total area of 3,240 sq. m. (34,875 sq. ft.) is built into the façade of the 211-m (692-ft) tall Turkmenistan Broadcasting Centre tower on a hill overlooking the city.The record-setting star was built to celebrate the 20 th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence and to showcase Turkmenistan's 'golden age' - a period of rapid growth and increased quality of life. Guinness World Records was invited to visit Turkmenistan and I had the honor of awarding the certificate to Mr. Alovov Sadurdy Atayevich, Head of the Turkmenistan's state committee of television, radio and cinematography. The people of Turkmenistan have many reasons to be proud of the achievement. The architectural star is not only a record-setting structure, but it also promotes traditional Turkmen culture to the world, as the structure is in the shape of the Oguz Khan star, the national emblem of the nation. The Oguz Khan star is prevalent throughout Ashgabat, and is incorporated into the design of everything from buildings to streetlamps to carpets - a specialty of Turkmenistan.The record marks the fourth set recently in Turkmenistan. The country previously held the records for the 'largest hand-woven carpet' and the 'tallest unsupported flagpole', and currently holds the record for the 'most fountain pools in a public place', at 27 in Ashgabat. On behalf of Guinness World Records, congratulations to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and the people of Turkmenistan for their record-setting achievement, and best wishes for future growth and prosperity.

4895

FASTEST BOXING KNOCKOUT

If you're like me and enjoy watching a good boxing match-up then I'm sure you either 1) stayed up and checked the web/watched on TV the Hatton Pacquiao fight or 2) woke up this morning to find that HITMAN HATTON...well was more like RAGDOLL HATTON unfortunately after PACMAN knocked him out cold with an enormous left hook in Las Vegas last night.It got me wondering, in the history of boxing what have been the quickest knockouts and who is responsible for them? After looking through the Guinness World Records database here's a couple of nuggets I found:FASTEST KNOCKOUT The fastest knockout on record appears to be one in a Golden Gloves tournament at Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA on 4 Nov 1947, when Mike Collins ﬂoored Pat Brownson with the ﬁrst punch and the contest was stopped, without a count, 4 seconds after the bell. SHORTEST WORLD TITLE FIGHT The shortest world title fight was 20 seconds, when Gerald McClellan (USA) beat Jay Bell (USA) in an WBC middleweight bout at Puerto Rico on 7 August 1993.Hatton was knocked out at the end of the second round so he's a long way away from breaking any of these records. It's a shame of course and we are all disappointed but none of us more than the man himself I'm sure.Congratulations Manny Pacquiao, you are an awesome champion and all boxing fans will hope to see more of you soon. Big props of course to Ricky Hatton. As we always say at Guinness World Records, it's not always the result but the trying that is most important.Til the next time!Did you watch the fight? Who did you think would win? Are there any boxing records you think Guinness World Records should know about? Add a comment and let us know

4896

En garde! Champagne sabering record raises funds for local first aid service

Holding a 15 in (38 cm) blade in one hand while trying to slice against the clock in front of 3,000 people is no time to feel pressure.Luckily for Mirko Rainer, his attempt at history went off without a hitch.The career restaurant, bar, and hotel man, Rainer recently broke the record for the most champagne bottles sabered in one minute, forgoing a bottle opener for the panache of uncorking 47 bottles of bubbly in the most swashbuckling way possible.videoThe event took place in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in front of the crowd of thousands, including an official Guinness World Records adjudicator.Of all people, Rainer seemed incredibly appropriate for the attempt, having graduated from the Swiss Association Suisse des Sommeliers Professionals, serving as active member of the Maîtres Italian Restaurants and Hotels in Ticino, and becoming a member of the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or in Switzerland."It is a great honour for me to be now part of the big family of the Guinness World Records," Rainer said. "It has been so challenging for me to attempt to set the new record."The event raised 7,000 Swiss Francs ($7,454/£4,543) for the Servizio Autoambulanza Mendrisiotto, the first aid service of Mendrisio. It garnered a wide variety of coverage, including being featured by the Swiss public broadcasting organization RSI. "We would like to thank all the sponsors, the people, and the families, who believed in this great project and made it happen," Rainer said.Have an individual talent of your own that might raise some funds and awareness for a cause like Mirko's bottle sabering? Make sure to contact the Guinness World Records client services team with your organization's details.

4897

Largest t-shirt record broken in Brazil to raise breast cancer awareness

Groups and organizations around the world are doing all they can to raise funds and awareness in October, which is Breast Cancer Awareness month. But few will be able to top the impression made by Equilíbrios Camisetas Promocionais, a Brazilian group that used awareness of the disease as the inspiration for breaking the record for the largest t-shirt.The record-breaking pink shirt came in at a measurement of 93.2 m (305 ft 9.28 in) long by 62.73 m (205 ft 9.68 in) wide, weighing an astonishing 4,500 kg (9,920 lb). It was unveiled in Navegantes, Santa Catarina, Brazil, in the southeastern portion of the country.Equilíbrios built the shirt in partnership with the RFCC (Female Network Against Cancer) of Brazil. Adding an ecologically friendly layer to the record, the shirt was comprised of 50 percent cotton and 50 percent material from recycled PET bottles.videoApproximately 11,000 hours of labor went into the shirt's creation, as a team of 64 assembled it while a team of 73 transported it to the unveiling site. It was the first ever Guinness World Records title achieved in Navegantes.To put the shirt further in perspective, you could fit three of Rio de Janeiro's famous Christ the Redeemer monuments on top of each other, and the shirt would still surpass it in length. The shirt would also entirely cover three regulation-sized soccer fields.After its record verification, the super shirt will now be recyled and transformed into 10,000 conventional t-shirts in a numbered, limited series for sale, with proceeds from sales going to the RFCC."It's very gratifying seeing a dream come true," said Rogério Tomaz, event organizer from Equilíbrios, "let alone contributing to a cause as important as fighting cancer."

A campaign to make cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) training compulsory in secondary schools across the Netherlands was given a boost earlier this month with a Guinness World Record™ title attempt.Organised by the Dutch Heart Foundation, the attempt for the Largest AED training session record took place at the Gelredome events complex in the city of Arnhem and was used to raise awareness of a petition in support of the campaign which is set to be handed to the Dutch Minister of Health later this year.Local schools gave consent for pupils aged 14-15 to attend the event which saw a record-setting total of 3,242 students take part in the attempt.The students gathered en masse at the Gelredome, before being placed in smaller groups to ensure members could rotate, providing ample practice of CPR and using an AED.The event aimed to highlight the importance of the first six minutes in an instance of sudden cardiac arrest amongst young people and imbue those taking part with vital resuscitation skills that improve survival rates by 60%.videoThe current survival rates for cardiac arrest victims in the Netherlands is 10-15% but with increased awareness and training the Heart Foundation has set a goal of 25%.They Foundation says the likelihood that those who participate in first-aid training as youngsters are significantly more likely to sign up as a civilian aid worker in adult life.video

4899

Ocarina Workshop help schoolchildren break world record at London’s Royal Albert Hall

A choir of primary schoolchildren have played their way into the record books with a successful attempt at the title for largest ocarina ensemble at London’s Royal Albert Hall.Children as young as five years of age led a total of 3,081 players to form the Largest ocarina ensemble in the world, beating the previous record of 831 set in China three years ago.Their seven-minute performance of Ode to a Joyful New Star at the Barnardo’s Young Supporters Concert was achieved after weeks of ocarina practice in schools across the UK, Gibraltar and Jersey, culminating in a short rehearsal together on the day.The attempt was organised by musical instrument suppliers Ocarina workshop , with the piece conducted by composer Douglas Coombes MBE with accompaniment from the Royal Albert Hall organ.An audience of parents, friends and ocarina fans supported the children by learning to play together during the concert.As well as raising money for children’s charity Barnardo’s, the children were allowed to keep their ocarinas at the end of the concert and offered a programme of music teaching.The English four-hole ocarina was invented in London 50 years ago by John Taylor. The name ocarina – meaning “little goose” – was first given to a round-shaped flute in 1853 by the Italian, Guiseppe Donati. Variations of similar wind instruments, known as vessel flutes, have been around for thousands of years.David Liggins, director of Ocarina Workshop, taught everyone to play in just eight minutes and commented: “That was the fastest music lesson I’ve ever seen the sound of over 3,000 people aged five to eighty all playing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy was both amazing and surreal”.

4900

Sony Pictures rides its way into the record books to promote Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 release

4901

Seven athletes take the Gillette antiperspirant protection challenge and break a new world record

What better way of testing the odour-fighting capabilities of a new deodorant than to hang seven athletes from a bridge and ask them to compete for the most consecutive butterfly pull-ups hanging from a bridge world record?

4902

Huggies Australia raise awareness for Hugs for Healing initiative with cuddly record for Children's Hospitals

Nappy makers Huggies showed their support for children's hospitals across Australia earlier this month with a cuddly world record attempt.Network Ten news presenter Carrie Bickmore joined staff at Sydney Children’s Hospital , along with Huggies Baby Club Members and Facebook fans, plus current and past patients and their families for the Huggies Hugs for Healing event which saw a successful bid for the most hugs given in 60 seconds world record.The fast-paced and fun ‘hugathon’ saw a total of 77 hugs lovingly exchanged, beating the existing record of 75 hugs set in London in 2013.The record bid marked the second year of Huggies® Hugs for Healing, an initiative with Children's Hospitals who are the national fundraising partnership of the five major national children's hospital foundations.Over 1.65m treatments are provided for sick and injured children by the five hospitals each year, with the initiative aiming to deliver support and care to sick babies and toddlers.The Huggies® Hugs for Healing initiative has been inspired through medical research which shows that hugs have a healing effect, having been proven to release serotonin and dopamine – therefore making the record attempt a perfect fit for highlighting the campaign’s purpose.Speaking after the attempt, which attracted widespread national press attention, Bickmore said she was thrilled with the result.“As a mum, I know how important a hug can be," she said. "Not just helping children feel loved and comforted, but actually having healing benefits too.""I’m very proud to be supporting the Huggies Hugs for Healing initiative which will help to positively impact the lives of so many children throughout Australia by helping to fund vital medical equipment. I hope mums and families across the country will join Huggies and me to support Children’s Hospitals and the great work they do every day in our communities."

4903

POM Wonderful taps Dancing With the Stars to reach launch party record

To celebrate the launch of its three new 100% juice blends, POM Wonderful recently decided to throw quite literally a history-making party.Celebrities Cheryl Burke and Karina Smirnoff of ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" traded their waltzing shoes for hula skirts to celebrate the launch of POM Juice Blends at the Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas. They led a group of pool partygoers who broke the Guinness World Records title for the Longest airborne inflatable beach ball relay. Revelers kept a beach ball in the air for 125 consecutive passes without letting the ball touch the ground. POM Wonderful attempted the record to showcase its three newest blends: POM Hula, POM Coconut and POM Mango."We wanted to achieve something no one has ever seen before, because we're launching a product no one has ever seen before," said Marc Seguin, POM Wonderful's vice president of marketing. The combination of Burke and Smirnoff with the Guinness World Records attempt proved a potent mix for POM Wonderful. Facebook and Twitter posts related to the event from the aforementioned's respective accounts totaled 2,274 likes, 30 shares, 261 comments, 46 retweets, 91 favorites and having reached 732,698 total followers."People love pool parties and people love knowing they're the best in the world at something," said official Guinness World Records adjduciator Morgan Wilber. "Seeing the two combined was a very unique way for POM Wonderful to host a memorable record event."

Macmillan Children’s Books marked the recent release of children’s author Julia Donaldson’s latest book in fitting style this week with a world record for Longest Chain of Paper Dolls.Measuring 4,549.7 m (14,926.8 ft) in length when laid out at London’s Southbank Centre on Monday, the chain was made up of 45,282 hand-designed dolls submitted by fans from all over the world over the summer.The attempt was launched in June to coincide with the publication of the paperback edition of Donaldson’s book The Paper Dolls - the story of a little girl who makes a string of paper dolls which go on a fantastical adventure.The length of the record-breaking chain was equivalent to 40 football pitches, almost 61 jumbo jets, or 80,000 jelly babies laid end-to-end.The chain broke the previous record of 2.68km set by Tiffanie Tallman and Fostering Hope in the US last year.The attempt also had a charitable aspect, with Macmillan Children’s Books pledging to give 10p for each doll submitted to Save the Children.The publisher recently sent books and paper doll templates into the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, which is currently home to many of the Syrian refugees which Save the Children has been campaigning to support.Commenting on the successful attempt, Donaldson said: ‘I am amazed and delighted that so many people from all over the world have taken the time to send in their paper dolls to us.“From Australia to Oswestry, from Swansea to Syria, the support for our bid to break the Guinness World Records title has been astonishing.“The Paper Dolls is a book which is very close to my heart and I am delighted that we have celebrated it in such a creative way.”video

When the Brazilian branch of multinational French corporation SPF, a company of DIANA GROUP - and a market leader in pet food palatibility production - wanted to find a way to keep staff and clients entertained and engaged at its annual Symposium this year, it decided to try and be the best in another field: breaking a world record.Combining the vision and efforts of 28 SPF staff members and 173 clients from the Latin American market, the group unveiled the largest pet food container on the opening night of the three-day conference. The final receptacle measured 3.015 m x 1.78 m x 0.50 m (9 ft 10 in x 5 ft 10 in x 1 ft 7 in), unveiled in Águas de São Pedro, São Paulo, Brazil on Oct. 28.The container took weeks to design and create, showing off the scope of its participants in the process. People from 101 different companies took part, encompassing 13 different nationalities. It served as a highlight for the fourth-annual gathering, officially titled "IV Simposio de SPF."Attendees to the conference were asked to fill up the container with pet food representative of their own brands, and each person who contributed was offered a medal of participation. By the time the package was filled and sealed, the official Guinness World Records certificate was handed over (above) and the Symposium off to a record-smashing start.The completed package weighed 563.2 kg (1,241.6 lb) after everyone contributed their share of dry pet food. After the event, all food was then donated to benefit local pets.

4906

2013 in review: How businesses around the world harnessed the power of record-breaking

In 2013, more businesses than ever leveraged the power of record-breaking to create one of a-kind-events and campaigns for their brand.From employee and community engagement initiatives to product launches and rebranding campaigns, here we look back at a selection of Officially Amazing events that took place across the globe over the past 12 months.In response to exceptional growth in record-breaking across the region, the start of the year saw Guinness World Records establish its Middle East operations with the opening of its office in Dubai.A total of 50 adjudications took place across the Middle East in 2013, and among the most memorable was fruit drinks maker Tang’s successfully attempt at the record for largest donation of toys in 24 hours in support of the brand’s charitable ‘Do Good’ campaign.Working in partnership with non-government organizations, such as the Red Crescent in the UAE, Dar Al Atta'a from Oman, and ENSAN and KAFEL from Saudi Arabia, TANG’s campaign managed to collect and donate 30,000 toys, which were distributed to less privileged across the region. Full story here.September saw Car manufacturer Nissan highlight the capabilities of its new Patrol SUV in emphatic style, with a successful attempt at the world record for “heaviest aircraft pulled by a production vehicle”.The nearly 3-ton 4WD vehicle pulled a 170.9-ton cargo plane for more than 164 feet (50 meters) during the attempt at Sharjah International Airport in the UAE.videoIt marked the second Guinness World Record set by Nissan in Dubai in 2013, with the company’s indoor illuminated advertising sign at Dubai International Airport also setting a benchmark as the world’s largest in February.Looking to engage social media audiences for the launch of their the new GALAXY S4 Zoom smartphone, Samsung Electronics Germany worked with Guinness World Records in September to create the world´s largest photo book.Calling on the company’s existing Facebook fans, Samsung encouraged their followers on the social network to become part of the record attempt by uploading their photos for use within the book.Unveiled at the Museum für Kommunikation in Berlin, the finished book as verified by a Guinness World Records adjudicator measured 40.52 m² (436 ft² 15 in²).Featuring 28,000 photos submitted via Facebook, the book weighed an incredible 12,000 tonnes. Full story here.JOY, the leading dish washing liquid detergent in over 31 countries, created history in October by breaking the Guinness World Records title for the longest line of washed plates .Highlighting the products long-lasting credentials, a total of 26,213 washed plates lined the running tracks of Bukit Jalil stadium in Malaysia, measuring 6.84 km (4.25 mi). The new world record was achieved with just one single 800ml bottle of JOY. Full story here.As part of a campaign to promote awareness of the benefits of breast feeding among new mothers, in September, Philips Avent in China set a new world record for the largest online photo album of handwritten notes.Drawing attention to the brand’s new 'AVENT Natural Series' range of breast pumps and feeding bottles, the campaign called on mothers to make a handwritten pledge that they would breastfeed for 180 days, the finished album contained 21,632 photos.The campaign targeted both traditional and online media, including forums and parenting blogs, along with popular social networks in the region such as WeChat and Weibo – the latter generating over 230,000 discussions related to the attempt.During the Spring, Bally Technologies emphasised how working with Guinness World Records can help brands engage and entertain consumers with live events, with the slot machines and gaming technology manufacturer setting a trio of world records at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.Showcasing Bally’s new iVIEW Display Manager™ (DM) Messaging Technology, a total of 3,001 Mohegan Sun guests competed in a tournament to capture the records for “World’s Largest Slot Tournament” and “Most Machines Running the Same Game Simultaneously” in April.The company followed this up in May with another successful world record attempt, this time for “Largest Virtual Race”, with 4,230 participants competing against each other on Bally’s new Virtual Racing NASCAR game. Full story here.Marking the company’s 50 th anniversary in some style, Mary Kay Inc, set the Guinness World Records®achievement for the largest makeup painting in Dallas back in August.The finished artwork measured 56.5 square meters (608 square feet), and took 10 artists approximately 1,000 hours over 16 days to complete, not including 40 hours of product and materials testing and 60 hours to create the design. Full story here.videoAlso using world record attempts to mark a corporate celebration in 2013 were Hellmans.To celebrate their 100th anniversary and take part in Chile’s “Fiestas Patrias” in the lead-up to the nation's Independence Day, the U.S.-based Mayonnaise brand set a new record for the longest line of hot dogs.Forming a line more than 250 meters (820.21 feet) long, 1,500 individual hot dogs were laid in line to help Hellmann's set the 21 st record currently held by the South American country.The company also commemorated their centennial with an event to break the world record for the world's longest picnic table, bringing together a slew of celebrities and food fans.Looking to emphasise the market-leading performance of its new Officejet Pro X551dw printers, HP worked with Guinness World Records in February to have the printing speed of the range officially recognised.During a live adjudication in Washington, USA, the devices were confirmed as setting the fastest time to print 500 sheets by an office colour desktop printer, with HP using the title as part of a licensing campaign.Finally, exemplifying how a record attempt can assist community engagement, one of the most hotly contested records during 2013 has been for the loudest stadium crowd roar.September saw the NFL team Seattle Seahawks break the record, showcasing the notoriously noisy acoustics of the CenturyLink Field stadium and their vocal fans to register a history-making reading of 136.6 dbA.videoHaving lost the title to rivals the Kansas City Chiefs a month later, the Seahawks went on to win back the record in December with a 137.6 decibels during their game against the New Orleans Saints. As well as creating a minor earthquake with the crowd roar, the world record generated news coverage around the globe for the Seahawks.* To find out more about how you can harness the power of record breaking for your brand click here.

4907

US restaurant proves it is the big cheese with enormous cheddar sculpture

In honour of their approaching first anniversary and National Cheeseburger Day last Friday, US restaurant chain The Melt made a successful attempt at the record for the Largest cheese sculpture.

For many people, Sunday morning is a time for relaxing and the perfect excuse to eat breakfast in bed – and that’s exactly what hundreds of guests and employees of S Sheraton Langfang Chaobai River Hotel. in China did last weekend - but in an unconventional Guinness World Records style.

Klayton Schauffler (USA) and Ken Hoang (USA) stand as two of most formidable players of crossover fighting game Super Smash Bros.

4910

The Force Awakens is here! Check out these Star Wars-related world records to get you in the mood

The wait is finally over - Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out now in cinemas across the globe.

4911

Paypal smashes world record for most money raised online for charity in 24 hours with $45.8m campaign

PayPal helped its users get into the spirit of giving during the holiday season by organising a huge charitable campaign that has set a new world record.

4912

Video: Giant multicopter drone that could lift weight of a human adult flies into record books

An unmanned autocraft built by drone maker Henning Pedersen and students of the University of Oslo (all Norway) has flown into the record books after achieving the Guinness World Records title for Heaviest payload lifted by a remote-controlled multicopter.

4913

First road maps

Ancient Roman road maps

first

Italy

The Romans created the first road maps. They were used not only for military reasons to conquer, control and administer their vast Empire but for commerce as well. Emperor Augustus Caesar had his son-in-law Marcus Agrippa (63 B.C.-12 B.C.) run a mapping mission that took surveyors nearly 20 years to finish. The mammoth project encompassed thousands of miles, running from as far east as the Middle East and all the way back to Britain. Agrippa created a circular map which was engraved in stone near the Roman Forum where Romans could gather and gaze upon this cartographic representation of the reach and power of Rome throughout the ancient world. Subsequently, travelers in the Roman Empire started to use the “itinerarium” to find their way throughout the dominions. The itinerarium began as a list of cities along a road but soon evolved into an early form of road map as diagrams were included to show where roads intersected along the way. These “travel aids” further developed to include symbols for the various cities, water and places to rest. These were the basis for the “Tabula Peutingeriana” (Peutinger table or Peutinger Map) which showed the “cursus publicus,” Latin for the vast network of roads throughout the Roman Empire. This “Tabula Peutingeriana” was a late Empire map that was last revised at the end of the 4th or early 5th Century AD—and is named for Konrad Peutinger, a 16th Century German who owned it. That map that Peutinger owned was believed to be an 11th or 12th Century copy of another map that was drawn in the 3rd Century AD. It was quite handy and practical as it could be conveniently carried in a slim case—very convenient for Roman soldiers, officials, and other travelers as they went about administering and maintaining order throughout the humongous imperial domain.

4914

Most concrete blocks broken in a single stack with the head

Wasantha De Zoysa

Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura

23 August 2009

The most concrete blocks broken in a single stack with the head is 12 and was achieved by Wasantha De Zoysa (Sri Lanka) at the Panorama hotel, Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, on 23 August 2009.The sheets were 4ft in length, 1ft in width and 3in in diameter and weighed 90 kg.

4915

Steepest gradient tightrope crossing by a bicycle

Freddy Nock

Switzerland, Erlenbach

07 September 2015

The steepest gradient tightrope crossing by a bicycle is 3.7% and was achieved by Freddy Nock (Switzerland), in Erlenbach, Switzerland, on 7 September 2015.Freddy also achieved the longest tightrope crossing by bicycle at the same time.

4916

International Women’s Day: Five inspirational female record-breakers from the past year

Today marks International Women’s Day 2016 – a UN initiative which aims to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievement of women around the globe.

4917

James Bond: 50 of the best 007-related records to mark the release of Spectre

Fictional spy James Bond first hit the big screen with the release of Dr. No in 1962 and, thanks to the original vision of producers Harry Saltzman and Cubby Broccoli, the 007 franchise has grown to become worth an estimated £1bn over the past 53 years.Spectre - the 24th James Bond movie - is in cinemas from Monday 26th and stars Daniel Craig for the fourth time.To mark its release, here we list 50 of our favourite Bond-related records starting with a new entry from global singing sensation Sam Smith...1. First Bond theme to reach No.1 in the UK chartsThe British star has just set an impressive Guinness World Records title with his single "Writing's on the Wall", taken from the 24th James Bond movie, which became the first Bond theme to top the UK's Official Singles Chart when it debuted at No.1 on 10 October 2015. Previously, two Bond themes had peaked at No.2 in the UK: Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" - the only US No.1 Bond theme to date - in 1985 and Adele's "Skyfall" in 2012.video2. Highest box office gross for a Bond film (adjusted for inflation)A phenomenal success even by the standards of a franchise whose films have always been smash hits, Skyfall (2013) amassed a total worldwide gross of $1,108 million (£730.6 million) beating both Thunderball (1965) and Goldfinger (1964), which would have grossed approximately $1,047 million (£645 million) and $1,005 million (£619 million) respectively when adjusted for 2012 inflation. 3. Most prolific James Bond authorPerhaps surprisingly, Ian Fleming, the original creator of Bond, was not the most prolific write of 007 novels. Between 1981 and 1996, John Gardner (UK) wrote 14 Bond novels and two screenplay adaptations, surpassing Fleming's output of 12 novels and two short-story collections.4. Most appearances as BondSean Connery (UK) (b. 25 Aug 1930) and Roger Moore (UK) (b. 14 Oct 1927) have both starred as British secret agent '007' seven times. Connery appeared in the first Bond movie, Dr No (UK 1962) and Moore made his debut in Live and Let Die (UK 1973).5. Most popular James BondBased on box-office figures adjusted for inflation, the most popular James Bond is Sean Connery (UK), grossing an average of $618.04 million per movie at current prices. This compares with the average of $559.87 million for Daniel Craig (UK), who occupies second place.6. Most popular Bond film stuntsA 2008 poll carried out by the Radio Times magazine charted the public's favourite stunts from the James Bond movies as follows: 1)Jumping from crane to crane Casino Royale, 2)Ski chase and parachute jump The Spy Who Loved Me, 3) The car barrel roll The Man With the Golden Gun, 4)Speedboat leap Live and Let Die, 5) Thames speedboat chase The World is Not Enough, 6) Aston Martin ejector seat Goldfinger, 7) Dive off the Verzasca Dam GoldenEye, 8) Ski chase On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 9) Jumping over crocodiles Live and Let Die, 10) Motorbike jump over a helicopter Tomorrow Never Dies.7. Largest breakaway glass structure smashed by a carThe largest breakaway glass structure smashed by a car measured 23.91 m² (257.36 ft²) and was achieved by British stuntman Rocky Taylor (UK) for Remember A Charity (UK) at the O2 Arena in London, UK, on 13 September 2011. Rocky attempted the record as his "final stunt", aged 67 years old. He has been a stuntman for 51 years, appearing in James Bond films (doubling for Roger Moore and Sean Connery), Harry Potter films and Titanic. He drove the car at approximately 50 mph, before speeding up a pipe ramp and smashing through the glass structure. He then flipped the car and landed upside down on a pile of parked cars. The record attempt was staged for 'Remember A Charity', a charity which encourages people to leave a lasting legacy by leaving a donation to a charity in a will.8. First submersible sports car (inspired by the Lotus in TSWLM)The first fully-submersible sports car is the Rinspeed sQuba car, manufactured by Rinspeed (Switzerland) and due for official unveiling at the Geneva motorshow, Switzerland on 6 March 2008. The open-top car can be driven on land, it can float on the surface of water, but can also be steered to underwater depths of 10 m (33 ft) - by a driver wearing breathing aparatus. SQuba, which was inspired by the underwater car in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me (UK,1977), is also environmentally-friendly, powered by rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries with a zero emissions.9. Highest bungee jump from a structure in a movieJames Bond's bungee jump off a dam during the opening sequence of GoldenEye (UK/USA 1995), performed by Wayne Michaels (UK), was a drop of over 220 m (759 ft). The sequence, orchestrated by Michaels, Simon Crane and the Oxford Stunt Factory, took place at the Verzasca hydro-electric dam in Switzerland. Taking two weeks to prepare, Michaels jumped from a suspended platform to avoid banging into the steel-peg studded face of the dam. Six cameras filmed the stunt.10. Longest speedboat jump in a filmA stunt sequence by Jerry Comeaux (USA) in Live and Let Die (UK, 1973), in which James Bond is chased down Louisiana's bayou in a 1972 Glastron GT-150 speedboat and leaps over a road, set a world record distance of 36.5 m (120 ft).11. Most cannon rolls in a carThe most cannon rolls in a car is seven and achieved by stuntman, Adam Kirley (UK), in an Aston Martin DBS, during filming for the 21st James Bond film, Casino Royale (2006) at Millbrook Proving Ground, Milton Keynes, UK in July 2006. The car was fitted with a nitrogen cannon in order to assist the rolls.12. Most expensive Bond memorabilia sold at auctionOn Friday, 20 January 2006, a Swiss businessman paid $1.9 million (£1.1 million) for a silver 1965 Aston Martin DB5 coupe used to promote the 007 films Goldfinger and Thunderball.13. Most expensive typewriterIan Fleming's gold plated typewriter, which was commissioned by the James Bond writer in 1952, was sold for £56,250 ($90,309) at Christie's, London, UK on 5 May 1995.14. Fastest time to complete "Antenna Cradle" in Goldeneye 007The fastest Time to Complete "Antenna Cradle", Goldeneye 007 (the Nintendo 64 video game which used to be the best-selling First-person-shooter g on a console) is 48 seconds, achieved by Michael Alexander Olson (Canada), in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada, on 15 November 2011.15. Shortest Bond filmAt 106 minutes, Quantum of Solace (2008) is the shortest James Bond movie to date.16. Longest Bond filmAt 145 minutes, Casino Royale (2006) narrowly beats On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), which runs to 142 minutes.17. Least successful Bond film (adjusted for inflation)Despite an all-star cast that included David Niven, Orson Welles and Woody Allen, Casino Royale (USA, 1967), producer Charles K. Feldman's surrealist spoof of the Bond series, grossed $41,744,718 (£15,115,762) worldwide, or $277,841,894 (£171,206,175) adjusted for 2012 inflation - the least successful Bond film of all time.18. First "astro-spiral" on filmThe 1974 Bond movie The Man with the Golden Gun featured an "astro spiral" jump, in which an AMC Hornet X hatchback drives up a corkscrewed ramp and turns 360? along its long axis, connecting successfully with a landing ramp on the other side of a river near Bangkok, Thailand. The stunt was pulled off by Loren "Bumps" Willert (USA). The actual Hornet used in the movie is preserved at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, UK.19. First Bond theme to be nominated for Best Original Song OscarSir Paul McCartney and Wings - with the help of producer Sir George Martin (all UK) - created perhaps the best ever Bond theme song with "Live and Let Die", the first to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song (1973), It charted at no.2 in the USA and no.7 in the UK, and lost the Oscar to "The Way We Were" from the movie of the same name. To date, no Bond music has won an Oscar.20. Most expensive Bond filmWith a budget of $225 million (£158 million) Quantum of Solace (USA/UK, 2008) is the most expensive Bond film to date.21. Most prolific Bond composerIn total, eight composers have created soundtracks for the Bond movies, the most prolific being John Barry (UK), with 11 movies to his name (plus his arrangement of Monty Norman's classic opening theme for Dr. No). Renowned for his luscious string arrangements and brassy, jazz, arrangement, John Barry's music for Goldfinger is considered the ultimate Bond score.22. Highest ski base jump on filmFor the pre-title sequence of The Spy Who Loved Me (UK 1977), Rick Sylvester (USA) donned skis in July 1976 to ski down a slope and jump off the edge of a 609.6 m (2,000 ft) cliff - Asgard Peak, Baffin Island, Canada - before opening his Union Jack round canopy.23. Greatest product placement return for a filmDie Another Day (UK/USA 2002), with its world premiere on 18 November 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, set a new level of product placement endorsements for a film with MGM receiving £45 million ($71 million). In all 20 companies had their product featured in the film, including Ford, British Airways, Sony and Finlandia Vodka. Even location interviews with Pierce Brosnan were only granted if the Omega logo was in view.24. Most intelligent handgunThe O'Dwyer Variable Lethality Law Enforcement (VLe) prototype pistol, made by Metal Storm Limited of Brisbane, Australia, has no moving parts, instead projectiles are fired electronically by a built-in computer processor. It can only be fired by someone wearing an authorised transponder ring, and is capable of firing up to three shots in extremely quick succession (within 1/500th of a sec.).25. Shortest spyThe smallest recorded spy was the Frenchman, Richebourg (1768-1858), who measured 58 cm (1 ft 11 in) as an adult. Richebourg was employed by the aristocracy to act as a secret agent during the French Revolution (1789-1799), dispatching messages into and out of Paris, whilst disguised as an infant and carried by his 'nurse'.26. First stealth videogameClearly inspired by James Bond, the first game to utilise basic stealth game mechanics was 005 which was released by Sega in 1981. The game was an evolution of the ''avoid ''em up'' genre which was popular in arcades at the time and cast the player as a spy trying to deliver a briefcase to a helicopter while avoiding enemies27. Oldest continuously serving intelligence organizationThe British Secret Intelligence Service was founded in October 1909 and is the oldest continuously surviving intelligence collecting organisation in the world. It was only publicly acknowledged in 1994 and is still popularly referred to by one of its earlier titles, MI6 (Military Intelligence 6), a cover name used from early in the Second World War.28. First actor to play James BondThe first actor who played James Bond on screen was Barry Nelson (USA) in 1954. Nelson appeared in a one hour black and white TV special based on Casino Royale broadcast on CBS. The episode came a full eight years before Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman brought James Bond to the silver screen in Dr. No, starring Sean Connery.29. Oldest Bond girlMaud Adams (Sweden, b. Maud Solveig Christina Wikström on 12 February 1945), who played the title character in ‘Octopussy’ (1983), was 37 years and 6 months old when the film began production in August 1982, and 38 and 4 months old when the film was released in the UK in June 1983.30. Highest ranked US officer charged with espionageRetired Army Reserve Col. George Trofimoff (USA) became the US Army's highest ranking American in uniform to be charged with espionage. On 14 June 2001 he was found guilty of spying for the USSR and Russia, (including the sale of classified material to the Russians) whilst serving as the civilian chief of the US Army Element of the Nuremburg Joint Interrogation Center - an intelligence unit in Germany - between 1969 to 1994. Ironically, Trofimoff was born in Germany to Russian parents and became a naturalized US citizen in 1951 precisely 50 years before he was sentenced to life imprisonment on 28 September 2001.31. Largest casinoBond would surely like to put his pokerface to the test at the Venetian Macau, a casino-hotel resort owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation (USA). The world's largest casino, with a 51,100-m² (550,000-ft²) gambling area opened in Macau, China on 27 August 2007. Guests can play on 3,400 slot machines or at 870 gaming tables, whilst staying in one of 3,000 suites or shopping amongst 92,900 m² (1 million ft²) of retail space.32. Oldest person to enter the UK Singles chart (female)Arguably best known for singing the Bond themes for Goldfinger (1964), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and Moonraker (1979), Shirley Bassey holds the record for being the oldest person to enter the UK Singles chart (female). The Welsh vocalist ( born 8 January 1937) reached the Top 10 on 7 July 2007 with 'Get The Party Started' aged 70 years 180 days. Her first hit came in February 1957, with her 50-year chart span a record for a female performer.33. First female to have biggest-selling album and single in US and UK in same yearUK singer Adele recorded the theme tune to the previous Bond movie Skyfall back in 2012. The London-born vocalist's hugely successful album 21 racked up an incredible 27 records. Arguably the most impressive is that she is the first female to have biggest-selling album and single in US and UK in same year. In 2011 she crowned 12 months of record-breaking feats by becoming the first act since The Beatles in 1964 to achieve the 'transatlantic quadruple' - the top-selling album and single in the US and the UK in the same year. In the US, the album 21 and lead single "Rolling in the Deep" amassed sales of 5.82 million and 5.81 million, respectively. In Adele's homeland, 21 and "Someone Like You" shifted 3.77 million and 1.24 million copies, respectively.34. Largest collection of James Bond memorabiliaThe largest collection of James Bond memorabilia belongs to Nick Bennett (UK) and consists of 12,463 items as of 21 November 2013, in Warrington, UK.video35. First Oscar-winning actor to star in a videogameThe first Oscar-winning actor to appear in a videogame is Christopher Walken (USA), who also played Bond villain Max Zorin in 1985's A View To A Kill. Walken featured in the game Ripper (Take2, 1996) alongside Paul Giamatti and John Rhys Davis.36. Most Laurence Olivier awards won by an individualJudi Dench, who has played M, the head of Mi6 since 1995's Goldeneye, has won a record seven Olivier Awards during her career. She shares the the record with designer William Dudley.37. Most connected actor livingThe University of Virginia's (USA) 'Oracle of Bacon' is software - named after the actor Kevin Bacon (USA) - that maps the working relationship between 1,250,000 actors and actresses in the Internet Movie Database. According to the Oracle, the most connected living movie star - that is, the living person at the 'Centre of the Hollywood Universe' - is Christopher Lee (UK), who played iconic Bond villain Scaramanga in the Man With The Golden Gun.38. Most films with a swordfight by an actorAccording to movie stuntman and historian Derek Ware (UK), Lee also holds the record for the most screen swordfights, having duelled in 17 films with foils, swords, lightsabres and billiard cues!39. Most consecutive BAFTAs wonRobbie Coltrane (UK), who played Dmitrovich Zukovsky in Goldeneye and The World is Not Enough, shares the record for three consecutive BAFTA television awards for Best Actor wins with Sir Michael Gambon (UK). Coltrane won three consecutive BAFTA Best Television Actor awards in 1994,1995 and 1996 for his role as forensic psychiatrist Gerry "Fitz" Fitzgerald in Granada Television's award-winning series Cracker (1993). 40. Steepest runway at an international airportCourchevel International Airport, which is located in the French Alps and featured in the opening sequence of Tomorrow Never Dies, possesses the world's steepest runway.The landing strip, which is a mere 1,722 feet long, is angled at 18.5º and so is definitely not for the faint hearted.Because of the shortness of the runway, aircraft take off downhill and land uphill. The dangers associated with operating out of Courchevel are such that pilots are required to obtain certification before attempting a landing.41. First spy satellites using photo-opticalProject CORONA, established in 1959, was the first known use of 'reconnaissance' or 'spy' satellites to gather intelligence. The US project, funded by the CIA and the US Air Force, was established to provide photographic surveillance of Russia and China. The satellites would eject sealed canisters (or 'buckets') of exposed film, which would parachute down for mid-air collection by specially adapted aircraft.42. Highest grossing Bond movieSkyfall (UK/USA, 2012), which premiered in London, UK, on 23 October 2012, grossed $868,585,083 (£539,192,430) at the international box office as of 30 November 2012, making it already the most successful James Bond movie in the franchise's 50-year history. 43. Most powerful laser weaponGoldfinger's laser was powerful enough to put a laser dot on the moon. In the real world however, the most powerful laser weapon is the Airborne Laser (ABL), developed by Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Gruman. It is designed to fit inside a modified Boeing 747 and will ultimately be used to track and destroy ballistic missiles. Although still in development, its power measures approximately one megawatt.44. Most expensive pizza sold at auctionThe "Pizza Royale 2007", created by Domenico Crolla (UK/Italy) for the premier of Casino Royale (2007), was auctioned off for charity on eBay to an Italian lawyer for a record ?2,150 (US$3,321. The toppings, inspired by Ian Fleming's sophisticated tastes, include: Lobster marinated in Louis VIII cognac (worth £1,395 (US$2,154) a bottle!), Beluga caviar scented with Bollinger Champagne, fillet steak marinated in Scotch Whisky, smoked salmon infused with vodka martini, edible gold leaf and white Italian truffles. The pizza normally retails for ?750 (US$1,158)at Bella Napoli/Italmania in Glasgow, UK.45. First confirmed use of secret code in online picturesOn 28 June 2010, the US Justice Department announced charges against 11 people accused of working for the SVR - the Russian successor to the Soviet KGB. Among the charges was the accusation that they had slipped encoded messages into otherwise harmless looking images on the internet, the first confirmed use of this high-tech approach to the concealment of data. The technique involves making changes to the three numeric values that a computer assigns to an on-screen image - these correspond to the amount of red, green or blue that each pixel in the image displays. By making slight changes to these values - which are undetectable to the naked eye - the spies were able to conceal the necessary '0's and '1's of the binary code they were using.46. First murder by radiationOn 23 November 2006, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Litvinenko, a retired member of the Russian security services (FSB), died from radiation poisoning in London, UK, becoming the first known victim of lethal Polonium 210-induced acute radiation syndrome. Despite investigations the murder case remains unresolved.47. Largest reusable spacecraftIn 1979's Moonraker, Bond investigates the theft of a space shuttle. NASA's Space shuttle, which made its first operational flights in 1982, remains the largest reusable spacecraft. 48. Greatest robbery of jewelsIn 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, Bond impersonates a diamond thief to infiltrate a smuggling ring, and soon uncovers a plot by his old nemesis Blofeld to use the diamonds and build a giant laser. At lunchtime on 28 July 2013, an armed man entered the Carlton International hotel in Cannes, France. His target: jewellery worth $137m. He single-handedly pulled off the biggest diamond heist ever, in just one-and-a-half minutes. The diamond-encrusted rings, earrings and watches he stole belonged to Lev Leviev – a Soviet-born Israeli diamond and property mogul – and had been on display in a widely advertised exhibition at the hotel. At the time, police in Cannes were unaware that the exhibition was taking place, and the thief took full advantage of the discreet security measures. Diamonds remain one of the most sought-after objects for theft owing to their value and difficulty in tracing ownership.49. Largest gold reservesGoldfinger has Bond investigating gold smuggling by gold magnate Auric Goldfinger and eventually uncovering his plans to attack the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox. The United States Treasury had approximately 262 million fine ounces of gold during 1996, equivalent to $100 billion (£65 billion) at the June 1996 price of $382 (£249) per fine oz. The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, 48 km (30 miles) south-west of Louisville, Kentucky, USA, has been the principal federal depository of US gold since December 1936, where 147 million fine oz are currently stored. Golds peak price was $850 on January 21, 1980.50. First James Bond theme to reach number 1 on Billboard Hot 100Duran Duran's theme to 1985's View To A Kill remains the only James Bond theme to reach number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was the last track that the original five members of the group recorded together until their reunion sixteen years later, in 2001.

4918

Sorry Justin Bieber - See who made our Top 5 record holders for Canada Day

What a week for national holidays here in North America. In just a few days, we in the U.S. celebrate the Fourth of July. But first, today commemorates Canada Day, giving us a chance to share in the glory of our neighbors to the north.Quick history lesson time!Canada Day marks the anniversary of what was then called the British North America Act, which united the colonies of Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into one, unified Canada on July 1, 1867.To celebrate in our own unique way, we plucked five of our favorite multiple record holders from the Great White North. Note that people like Wayne Gretzky or Justin Bieber were excluded from the list because, well, they get enough attention already, don't we think?Which one of our holders is your favorite? Tell us in the comments below, eh!RECORD HOLDER: Michal Kapral, TorontoFor doing what?Fastest marathon joggling three objects (held twice): 2 hr 50 min 12 secFastest 10km joggling three objects: 36 min 27 secFastest marathon pushing a pram (since broken): 2 hr 49 min 43 secTell me more about this CanuckKapral, as you can tell, specializes in endurance running and juggling while doing so -- jogging + juggling = joggling. Interestingly, according to his personal blog, he also chewed gum the entire time he broke his most recent marathon record, and the Torontonian has even won a competitive marathon against "regular" runners while joggling.RECORD HOLDER: Peter Czerwinski, MississaugaFor doing what?Fastest time to eat a raw onion: 43.53 secFastest time to eat a 12-inch pizza: 41.31 secMost Ferrero Rocher chocolates eaten in a minute: 9Most Jaffa Cakes eaten in one minute (held twice) : 17Tell me more about this CanuckCzerwinski, nicknamed "Furious Pete," obviously loves to eat. But his story runs much deeper. As detailed in his personal documentary, Czerwinski was hospitalized for anorexia at age 16 and has since grown into one of the best competitive eaters in the world. RECORD HOLDER: Carolann Naugle, Truro (Nova Scotia)For doing what?Largest wreath: 76.74 m (251 ft 9 in) diameterMost wreaths made in 24 hours: 70Tell me more about this CanuckNaugle is a seasoned wreath maker and has actually entered multiple competitions for her talent. She has, in fact, won prizes in every competition she's ever entered. For her latest attempt (most wreaths made in 24 hours), she even gathered all of the balsam fir used by hand herself, then sold the wreaths to donate proceeds to a local children's charity. And, oh yeah, assembled her last one blindfolded.RECORD HOLDER: Kevin Fast, Cobourg (Ontario)For doing what?Most people supported on the shoulders (above): 10, weighing 680 kg (1,506 lb)Heaviest vehicle pulled over 100 ft by a pair (with his son Jacob): 69,753.43 kg (153,780 lb) in 38.3 secLongest duration holding a 500 kg weight on the shoulders (held twice): 1 min 1.4 secHeaviest vehicle pulled with an arm wrestling move (held twice): 10,540 kg (23,236 lb)Heaviest house pulled by an individual: 35.9 tonnes (79,145 lb)Heaviest aircraft pulled by a man (pictured at top of page): 188.83 tonnes (416,299 lb)Heaviest vehicle pulled over 100 ft (held six times): 57,243 kg (126,200 lb)Tell me more about this CanuckCan you tell this is one strong dude? Whether it's the Canadian bacon or something in the northern drinking water, the 50-year-old Fast has shown remarkable longevity in his strongman attempts, having set his first strength record all the way back in October of 1998. And if you happen to find yourself in Sunday service at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Cobourg anytime soon, don't be surprised to run into this hulking man -- he's the church's pastor.RECORD HOLDER: Suresh Joachim, MississaugaFor doing what?A lot.Tell me more about this CanuckTo list all the records Joachim holds would be to wear out the characters on our keyboard. Since his first successful record in 1996, Joachim has claimed 39 different world records and held a record multiple times on 8 occasions, resulting in 47 career Guinness World Records titles. The craziest part about Joachim's exploits, though, is the vastness and range of his attempts. He's done everything from the greatest distance run on a treadmill in 48 hours (386.41 km/240.11 miles) to the fastest feature film produced (11 days 23 hr 45 min from script to general release) to the most ushers for a groom (47 at his wedding to wife Christa).So whether it's a pint of a Molson or a cup of Tim Horton's coffee in your hand, be sure to raise a glass and salute these and all of our other Canadian record breakers. Happy Canada Day!

For some people, spring break means a week of beaches, bikinis, and beverages. For others, it means a questionably entertaining James Franco movie.But for those on NBC's Today last week, it meant a chance at history. The iconic morning show hosted "Spring Breakers" week and invited seven groups with their eyes set on glory to the party. Each day featured at least one official attempt at a Guinness World Records title. Ranging from a dog jumping rope to dozens of shaved heads, each record was adjudicated live on-site.Some succeeded and some failed, but all were certainly entertaining. Here's a daily look back at the week in records.MONDAY"Spring Breakers" week kicked off with two record attempts, and actually debuted to an inauspicious start. Lia Grimanis came down from Toronto to make an early-morning attempt at the heaviest vehicle pulled in high heels (female). Needing to pull a vehicle at least 10,000 lb (4,536 kg), Lia went with gusto for a 15,000+ lb (6,800+ kg) truck.videoLia's valiant attempt didn't go unnoticed, though, as she inspired a donation of $25,000 (£14,932) from Walmart to her championed charity, Women in Need.Later Monday, Geronimo the dog leaped into the record books for a second time, breaking her own mark for the most Double Dutch skips by a dog in one minute. After 128 skips, the Border Collie/Kelpie rescue mix had plenty of reason to dance with owner Samantha Valle.videoTUESDAYAmerica would celebrate National Sibling Day later in the week, but Tuesday is when the Kennedy brothers of Massachusetts showed just what the power of family can do. Aiming to break the existing record for highest trampoline bounce by a team by just one inch, Sean, Eric, and T.J. got to bouncing on a rainy New York morning with very little margin for error.videoWEDNESDAYThe midpoint of the week would see dozens of people making a wonderful personal sacrifice for a great charitable cause. With volunteer barber David Alexander at the helm, the St. Baldrick's Foundation saw its attempt at the most heads shaved in one hour come down to the very last minute, as Alexander shaved head No. 73 (the previous record was 72) with 11 seconds to spare. videoAfter all the scalps were shorn and hair swept away, $9,022 (£5,389) had been raised during this attempt alone, adding to the $212 (£126) million raised for child cancer research by St. Baldrick's since 2000.THURSDAYThis marked the second day of the week in which two record attempts were made. Simultaneously, Australian super-trainer Michelle Bridges led the largest exercise ball class while the Today 'Orange Room' tried sparking thelongest selfie relay chain. The selfies, unfortunately, did not pan out as a successful attempt, but there was no way Michelle Bridges was going to let her record fail! She made 353 people feel the burn for 30 minutes in both Rockefeller Plaza and the famed Rockefeller Center.videoHer attempt also led ConAgra Foods and P&G to donate $100,000 (£59,731) to one of Bridges' favorite charities, Feeding America.FRIDAYThe record-breaking week concluded in a big way - literally. HarperCollins publishers and author Lincoln Peirce of the popular "Big Nate" comic strip and children's book series combined to unveil the longest cartoon strip by a team, which spanned nearly 4,000 ft and unwound throughout all Rockefeller Center.videoPeirce contributed five personal panels to the strip itself, while others were drawn by and collected from hundreds of school children around the world. Thanks to the successful attempt, HarperCollins announced it would donate $10,000 (£5,973) worth of books to First Book, a non-profit organization that provides books and educational resources to children in need. Did any of the "Spring Breakers" inspire you to attempt a record of your own? Make sure to put in your application for a jumpy dog or quick buzzer, well, today!And for the latest on all things world record, visit Guinness World Records on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and our brand-new Instagram. Plus check out Guinness World Records on YouTube to subscribe for the latest record-breaking videos!

4920

Guinness World Records: Gone Wild! Season Finale Recap

What we learned throughout the first season of "Guinness World Records: Gone Wild!" is that record-breaking does not discriminate.It will break the hearts of young and old. It can submit the strong and favor the weak. It can render months and years of persistence and training irrelevant with one fluke of a misstep. But, where it's always consistent is in the human drama it provides, and Thursday's season finale proved no different.We were first introduced to a man who made a difficult record look easy, and that portended good things for the episode. Scott Damerow took the stage, told the crowd he would crush at least 130 eggs with his head in one minute, and then proceeded to wow everyone with his speed, precision, and ability to take residence in any short-order brunch kitchen.videoThen came a young couple that, well, wasn't a couple at all.Paul Prado and Sophia Rojas came to us as roommates but, when pressed, revealed that Sophia also had a live-in boyfriend, who soon appeared on stage. Prado admitted to a bit of nervousness in the presence of this third party and nervousness would not fly when the two tried to break a record that has stood for 13 years: the farthest marshmallow nose blow, to be caught in the mouth.Whether it was nerves or air pressure or not eating a solid breakfast earlier in the day, Prado and Rojas fell achingly short of the record, as he launched a marshmallow from his nose into her mouth just 1.5 inches short of the record 16 ft 3.5 in.Photo courtesy truTVDistraught and having come so close, the duo convinced GWR adjudicator Stuart Claxton to allow one more try, however. And later in the show, Prado and Rojas returned, this time for glory: on the first try of their second attempt, the marshmallow was blown an amazing 17 ft 11 in, absolutely crushing a record that had stood for more than a decade.The same couldn't be said, though, for a trio of record attempts in the middle of the show, all of which also involved food.Attempts at the most hamburgers stuffed in the mouth whole (the "whole" burgers all came out of the mouth as one mushy blob), fastest time to eat a raw onion (three audience members who were not up to the task), and most watermelons crushed with the thighs in one minute (the slipperiness of the melons didn't allow for enough traction) all came nowhere near setting records for their respective reason.Thankfully, two record pros were there to save the day, including pogo stick maestro Fred Grzybowski.Photo courtesy truTVGrzybowksi took to the outdoor track of the "Gone Wild!" arena to become a four-time holder for the most consecutive backflips on a pogo stick. Having originally set the record with eight flips in 2009, Grzybowksi continued to push his limits, upping the record total to a successful 12 straight flips, and making it look easy.What wasn't easy was the last attempt of the night, made once again by a previous record holder.Mike O'Hearn stood, in full American football pads and helmet, in front of 19 panes of tempered glass, hoping to break through them all consecutively. Some panes he smashed through with ease. Others, his momentum couldn't carry him and he bounced off the glass like a rubber ball. By the end of his run, O'Hearn lay exhausted, sprawled among a sea of glass shards.Photo courtesy truTVWhen he arose, O'Hearn waited patiently to see if his effort provided another place in Guinness World Records lore. You can watch in full below.videoThat suspenseful success brought the incredible first installment of "Guinness World Records: Gone Wild!" to a close and what an awesome season it was. From men flipping over speeding cars to women throwing refrigerators, the Guinness World Records universe was on full display throughout.If you missed any of the action, make sure to visit the " Guinness World Records: Gone Wild!" page at truTV.com for full episodes and individual record clips ( Note: full episodes not available outside United States).And stay tuned -- no one knows when Guinness World Records may go wild next!